Things Change
by P.o.T.t.Y.F.a.N.x
Summary: She was always running, he was always chasing. She left the room each time they talked. She had an epiphany and changed. Would he be waiting? RW/SM


**This stories different to my usual stories, so please tell me what you think! Its probally the most angsty thing I've written! Hoe you like it!**

**Don't own Harry Potter :)**

**Still doing - A Love Hate Relationship**

**Dedicated to : Catrina BoFi, Juicy Carton**

**x**

_Don't change for you  
Don't change a thing  
For me_

* * *

_October 5__th__ – Third Year_

"Weasley! Weasley! Wait up, babe."

"Don't call me babe!" Shouted Rose Weasley, turning around to face him and crossing her arms.

"But I want to see Hagrid too." He said, taking two strides so he was next to her and fluttered his eyelashes.

"No you don't Malfoy." She said, rolling her eyes and continuing to walk towards Hagrid's hut. Flinching only slightly when she heard his footsteps behind hers.

"Yeah, you're right actually Weasley."

Her eyebrows shot up into her hairline.

"I just want to see you."

_Christmas Holidays – Sixth Year_

"Nice jumper Weasley." Said Scorpius Malfoy, nodding at Al as he sat next to Rose.

"Go away Malfoy." She said, sounding bored.

"Looks good."

She smiled at him sarcastically before returning to her roast potatoes.

"But it would look even better, on my bedroom floor. After I'd taken it off you."

He said, smirking.

Rose laughed louder than she had in a while, and Al was red, clearly embarrassed at his friends openness. Scorpius looked embarrassed as well. Their table was getting some strange looks.

"Really Malfoy?"

"Really." He said, winking.

She stood up, still laughing.

"You're losing your touch Malfoy." She said simply and walked away.

"Good one Scorp!" Said Al roaring with laughter.

"Shut up Potter." He said, accidently splashing gravy down his robes.

_February 14__th__ – Fifth Year_

"I just love Valentines day, don't you?" Alice Longbottom gushed to the Gryffindor table at large. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Its alright I suppose." She brushed confetti off her breakfast plate and helped herself to some toast.

"She's just saying that because she hasn't got a valentine." Said Al, joining the table.

"Shut-up Al!" Said Rose, angrily. Grabbing her toast and swinging her legs over the bench.

"Leaving already Weasley?" Came a drawl from behind her. She froze on the spot.

"What do you want Malfoy?" She asked, turning slightly to see his face. He walked around the table till he was in front of her on the bench.

"To give you these."

He handed her some roses.

"How very original Malfoy. But they would seem more, I don't know special, if you didn't get me them each year!"

She rolled her eyes, and flung the roses back at him.

"Wait! I . . . I have something to ask you."

"Let me guess. Me, you, Hogsmeade?"

"No, but that would be nice."

Rose stood up fully and left the table. He grabbed her arm in haste. She glared at him.

"Will you marry me Rose Weasley?"

She looked at him stunned.

_Second to last Day of term – Seventh Year_

"Rose?"

There was a knock on the door.

"Just – go away. Please." She said sniffing. Wiping tears from her eyes.

"Rose, please. It's Lily."

"The doors unlocked." She replied, giving in.

Lily entered the room, hurrying over to her cousin who was at the foot of her bed, holding her legs to her chest. Crying.

"Are you alright Rose?" She asked tentatively.

She sniffed loudly. "I'm fine. 'M fine." She replied.

"If it was because of Al then I'm really sorry. I had a word to him and he-"

"It's not about Al, Lily."

"Oh, its not?"

Rose stood up, though shakily, wiping her eyes.

"No, for once. It wasn't him that mucked me up."

She pushed past her cousin out of the Heads Dormitory in a hurry. Leaving a stunned Lily Potter shaking her head.

_July 7__th__ – Three years after School_

"Miss Weasley, there's someone here to see you."

"Send them through Georgia." Said Rose.

"Weasley."

The back of Rose's neck prickled. She knew who it was already, even after three years.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?"

He stepped into her office, out of the doorway.

"I have something to put in the paper, obviously. Isn't that what people come here to do?"

She frowned at him in response. Spinning around on her chair.

"Fine. What do you want to put in? Who died?" She asked coldly. He was silent. "The pricelist is up on the wall." She pointed to the wall on the left.

"Price is no object Weasley. You should know that."

She snorted.

"What am I putting in the paper, Malfoy?"

"A Wedding announcement." He said proudly, and she stopped spinning on her chair.

"I-I, uh, well."

"Well what Weasley?"

"Well you need to go to Mariah down the hall for that. I don't do Weddings."

"Right." He said awkwardly.

"Goodbye." She said, turning around to her typewriter and screwing up the piece she had just written.

'_Wedding of the Century' _Was just visible in the waste bin.

_April 13__th__ – Second Year_

"Ah!" Said Rose, squealing as she fell to the ground, her books and belongings splayed out around her.

Someone stopped to help her; she looked up to thank them, but changed her mind seeing who it was.

"Weasley." He nodded at her smirking.

She huffed. "I would say thank-you, but since it's _you_. I feel it's not necessary."

He handed her some books back and stood up.

"Falling for me, aren't you?"

He held out his hand.

She laughed, and ignored his offer of help. Heading off in the opposite direction.

"See you in Potions!"

He called after her.

_July 8__th__ – Three Years after School_

"You called for me Krista?"

Her boss looked up from her papers.

"Yes, Rose. Sit down."

Rose sat down timidly. She knew she was in trouble.

"You are a writer, for my paper yes?"

"Yes." Said Rose, looking down.

"What kind of columns do you write?"

"Weddings, engagements, events…" She said ashamedly.

"So why, Rose, would you turn down the Malfoy's? We're in need of business right now."

"I-I, I don't know, sorry."

Krista smiled slightly.

"That's okay Rose, you know I like you and your beautiful writing. Which is why you will do a full write up about it for your column."

"Okay." Said Rose grudgingly.

"Good. The Weddings in three weeks."

She nearly choked on air.

_March 26__th__ – Seventh Year_

"I'm never gonna give up on you, you know."

Her quill stopped and she put it aside.

"You really should Malfoy. I don't like you. At all."

"One day Rose, one day."

"What no Weasley?"

"No Weasley." He said smiling and returning to his homework.

She picked up her quill shaking her head. She had to give it to him, he was entertaining.

_October 18__th __– Fourth Year_

"Its so nice, Rose, to be here with you."

"Thanks Mark." She said, grinning ear to ear, and sipping on her butterbeer.

"Yes it is nice." Said an entirely different voice.

Rose looked up in shock as she saw someone had barged in on her date, with a fifth year.

"Malfoy!" She hissed. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He said incredulously.

Mark frowned at him.

"Friend of yours, Rose?"

"No." she said shaking her head. "Quite opposite actually."

"Well let's go then," said Mark. Standing up abruptly.

"See you tonight Weasley. Same place, same time." Said Scorpius, blowing a kiss.

"What's he talking about Rose?"

"Nothing Mark, nothing."

She spun back around as they exited the room.

"I hate you Malfoy!"

_November 6__th__ – Sixth Year_

"BEFORE THE GAME BEGINS, I HAVE A NOTICE HERE, SENT IN BY OUR VERY OWN SCORPIUS MALFOY, GRYFFINDOR SEEKER." Andrew Jordan sounded amused.

Rose hung around the hoops in the sky on her broom, to see Scorpius waving at the crowd and rolled her eyes.

"THE MESSAGE IS AS FOLLOWS: ROSE WEASLEY, WILL YOU MARRY ME?"

He flew over to her, arm outstretched.

"Will you?"

"No, Malfoy. Now get your head in the game. You better catch the Bloody snitch this time!"

_July 12__th__ – Three Years after School_

She knocked on the door twice before stepping back, shivering slightly.

She couldn't believe she was here of all places, and without doing any prior research.

"Weasley! What are you doing here?" Asked Scorpius Malfoy, once again lolling against a doorway.

"Can we just go inside please Malfoy?"

"Of course!" He said, his manners finally kicking in. He ushered her in and took her coat.

"Nice apartment." She said before she could help herself.

He smirked.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm doing the Wedding."

"Oh." He said, looking slightly crestfallen.

"Three years after finishing." She said, sitting down on his couch and pulling out her notepad. "So Young."

"Its tradition in my family." He stated.

"How Romantic." She said, scrawling a few notes down.

"Do you need the names?"

"Just the bride." She said. "I have the groom's details of course."

"Alice Longbottom."

Her heart stopped.

"You alright Weasley?"

"I've got to go!" She said, making a quick escape.

"See you at the wedding, yeah? Its on the 22nd at-"

"Yeah I have the details thanks." She said making her exit.

She was getting good at those.

_Summer Holidays – Before Sixth Year_

"I know that Malfoy kid – Al's friend fancies the pants of you, Rose."

"Dad! You're always so embarrassing."

"I just wanted to say I'm proud of you for sticking to your guns. He's not as bad as I thought."

"Yeah," said Hugo, joining in. "He's an awesome seeker too."

"Why the hell is everyone a part of the Malfoy fan club?"

Asked Rose, slamming down her plate and storming off.

"Whats wrong with her?" she heard her Mum ask from the kitchen.

"Boy trouble." Was her Dads reply.

_1__st__ September – First Year_

"And James says I'm gonna be in Slytherin." Said Albus, looking crestfallen.

"Al, don't worry. I'm sure Slytherin's not that bad."

They made their way down the hallway, trying to find a compartment. When someone spoke from behind them.

"That's where you're wrong," he stopped and looked at her appearance, "Weasley?"

Rose and Albus turned around as the last part was a question.

"Rose." She corrected. Her eyes widening when she realised who he was.

"I'm Scorpius." He said proudly.

"Lets find a compartment."

Rose looked at Al, as if to say, can you believe this guy? But he was smiling. Rolling her eyes she followed the berk.

_22__nd__ July – Third Year after School_

There she was, in the dress she wore to the majority of the Weddings she wrote up. To say she looked beautiful was an understatement.

She felt unprepared, however. Apart from her quick meeting with Malfoy she knew nothing about the relationship he and Alice had. She had known both of them at School however. Both of them particularly well. It should give her an edge, at least.

She was sitting at the back of the garden. The site was a dream. A beautiful park, rose's and white fences everywhere, it was enchanting.

_The perfect wedding_. She wrote it down in her notepad.

"Rose?"

She turned around, smiling and surprised to see a familiar face.

"Lily? What are you doing here?"

"Friend of the Groom." She said, taking the empty seat next to her.

"Right." Said Rose frowning slightly.

Albus was more his friend then Lily's, wasn't he?

"So you're here for Alice?"

"No, actually. It's going in the paper." She held up the camera as proof.

Lily nodded awkwardly.

"I haven't seen you in so long Rose. No-one has. I'm sure Alice would've invited you if she had known your adres-"

"How is that an excuse? We were best friends and now she's marrying Malfoy! Malfoy!"

"Rose, what do you mean?"

"Is she not a witch? Couldn't she have found me, then told me?"

"It seemed like you didn't want to be found." Said Lily, simply.

Rose stood up, not sure why she had even bothered to go to the Wedding.

"But Rose, I think your-"

"Bathroom."

She stated. Leaving.

_Last day of Term – Seventh Year_

"Weasley, wait up I-"

"Save it for your girlfriend, Malfoy."

"But, what? Rose! You can hardly blame me can you?"

She shook her head.

"No." She muttered, getting into the horseless carriage for the last time, leaving him standing in the rain.

"I can't." She mumbled to herself.

_June 30__th__ –First Year after School_

She unlocked the door to her apartment, coffee in one hand. Sighing she plonked herself down on eth couch once she entered.

She went through her mail, tearing open her electric bills first.

Ding – Dong!

"Mpf."

She said, walking over to the intercom. It was probally one of her new muggle friends she'd met whilst writing at the local coffee shop. She was a fee lance writer, sending things in to all kinds of papers, muggle and wizarding alike.

"ER-HELLO-IS THIS THING ON?"

"Al?" Rose called, holding down the button, frowning.

"YES-ROSE, HOW ARE YOU IN THE- MACHINE? CAN YOU LET ME IN?"

"Hang on." She said, rolling her eyes and unlocking the door.

"Rosie!" He said, attacking her with a hug.

"Al!" She said back. Though not as enthusiastically.

"Everyone's worried, Rose. You just up and moved out, without an explanation-"

"Maybe I needed a change?" She said quietly.

"Why? What's going on Rose." He sounded concerned.

"I had an epiphany. Didn't like what was happening in my life."

She sunk into the couch next to him.

"What? You were Head Girl, Keeper on the Quidditch team. You're a Weasley for God's sake! You can cope with anything-"

"That's it Al! Here I'm just Rose. Yes, I might be getting a job at the daily Prophet, but even then I'll be under a different name-"

"Why the hell do you want to change your identity? I don't get it Rose! What's it gonna take to get you back to normal?"

"Normal? When have I been _normal_?" She stood up from the couch.

"Don't you dare leave Rose Weasley. That's one thing you should change about yourself! You always leave. _Always_."

She walked into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her and sliding down the wall.

"Rose, please let me in."

"Times change Al. Just leave me alone."

She heard the front door shut, and began to cry.

_November 18__th__ – Fifth Year_

"He's not gonna chase you forever you know."

"What?" asked Rose, ignoring the Librarians glare.

"This game you play. It's fun now, but won't always be."

She stared at her friend.

"Alice, what the heck are you talking about?"

"You know Rose!" She said looking upset. "You bloody know!"

She looked down at her parchment, blinking.

Alice was gone when she looked up.

_22__nd__ of July – Third Year after School_

"What are you doing out here Weasley? Its about to start!"

She turned to face him, breathing heavily.

"Shouldn't you be up the front then?" She asked, throwing up her arm manically.

"Yes, but that's not important. Are you alright?" He stepped closer to her, and she moved back.

"You're seriously asking me this, now?"

"Yes?" He said, frowning, looking around.

"You turn up out of the blue, and tell me about this Wedding! And then expect me to write about it, when you, you were the one who broke your promise-"

He was watching her intently.

"Wait! You're angry with me?" He shook his head. "You don't get to be angry with me!"

"Why the Hell not?"

"I chased you! I chased you for years. I gave you plenty of opportunities. Hundreds! I loved you Rose Weasley, for years. Years! And I put up with your crap, your weird mood swings, and how bloody bad you treated me! And now you're angry? You, _you_."

He laughed shaking his head. Rose frowned.

"Well you don't give up the game when you're about to catch the Snitch."

She grabbed her camera and notepad hastily, and pulled out her wand.

Turning on the spot she apparated. Leaving him standing there.

_October 2__nd__ – Sixth Year_

"This is probally the nicest time I've ever had with you Malfoy."

"Oh, Weasley, you know how to make a guy feel special!"

They rounded the corner, he was smirking, and she was smiling.

"Hmm, well I admit I was annoyed when I found out Caitlin was sick, and I'd be doing my rounds with you."

"But now . . ?" Asked Scorpius, sounding hopeful.

"But now I don't mind."

They walked in silence for a few steps before he spoke.

"Why's that, do you think?"

"Because you haven't proposed/asked me out, or proclaimed your love to me."

"Damn!" He said, "I was just about to tell you, how much your eyes resemble the ocean. When I see them I think of-"

She walked off, shaking her head laughing.

_January 26__th__ – Second Year after Leaving School_

Once again she was sorting through her mail when she heard a tap at the window.

An owl. She let it in, frowning.

She detached the letter from the owls leg and opened it.

_Dear Rose,_

_Darling, we're very worried about you at home. I know it's a big ask, but its Hugo's birthday this weekend. Would you like to come? _

_The whole families going to be there. We miss you. Vic's getting huge, and both Hugo and Albus have new girlfriends – unbelievable I know. Anyway, Louis is taking leave in France to come, and Fred and Roxanne keep harassing me about not seeing you. _

_Please Honey. I miss our little chats. _

_James' band is going well, and if you come, he might even give you his autograph. (How's that for a bribe, eh?) _

_Anyways sweetie, if you don't want to or are too busy at the prophet, don't worry. I understand. Things have changed so much in the last two years, and I feel I don't know you anymore._

_P.S The Scamander's and Longbottoms are coming as well._

_Love, Mum_

She sighed. She couldn't go back to it all.

Things had changed.

_24__th__ July – Third Year after School_

"Miss Weasley, someone to see you."

"Thanks Georgia." Said Rose, finishing her typing and turning around.

"Still have your job even though you didn't do the Wedding?"

"What the Hell do you want?"

She felt tears prick in the corners of her eyes.

"I had something important to tell you."

"Life or death is it Malfoy?" She asked, turning back to her work.

"It is actually."

He invited himself in, and leant on her desk beside her.

"So important that you could wait two days to tell me?"

"Well, the Wedding was a Saturday, and I didn't know where else I could find you, except work on Monday."

"So you're a stalker now?" She asked, turning to face him.

"No." He said shaking his head.

"What will the wife think?"

"I'm going to ignore that, because-"

"Hmpf." She said, frowning. "I have work to do, so either tell me what you need to, or leave."

"If you'd just let me finish."

She finally gave him her full attention.

"If you had only done your bloody job properly, you would have realised something."

She still frowned.

He held up his bare fingers.

"No ring." He said simply.

"You're not married?"

"No." He shook his head.

"Then whose Wedding was that?"

"My cousin Blane's-"

"What?"

"Well, my Mothers sisters Son-"

"I know who Blane is you dick!" She stood up in anger, he flinched back slightly.

"Then why the confusion?"

"I thought, you . . .were, married." She sunk back down into her chair.

"And why would that bother you Weasley?"

_December 1__st__ – Fourth Year_

"Come on mate, lets go" Said Al impatiently.

"Hang on a second. Forgot something."

He rushed back in through the portrait and approached Rose.

"I love you, Weasley. See you after dinner."

She frowned at him.

"Um…Okay Malfoy."

He winked and ran out the portrait.

_24__th__ July – Third Year after School_

"At the Wedding. You said something about catching the Snitch. Did that mean what I thought it meant?" He spoke quieter this time.

"What did you think it meant?"

"That you were about to say yes to me? That you actually felt something?"

She looked to his eyes.

"Is that what you meant?"

"Yes."

He sighed, "Then why did you push me away for so long?"

"I was used to routine, I guess," she said looking at her feet. "You don't know what you got till it's gone."

"Right." He said sounding distant.

She turned back to her work, this hadn't gone how she wanted or expected.

"You disappear for three years, after I get the first girlfriend I'd ever had, you show up at what you think is my Wedding and tell me that I'm the one in the wrong, when I," He moved closer to her, pushing her chair back. She gasped. "When I, waited seven years for you, seven whole years! You finally tell me the truth, and I stand here trying to process it, and you go back to your work? Are you kidding me?"

She looked up into his eyes, slightly scared.

"Yes I disappeared for three years! I needed change! Seven years of the same routine, the same game. It was fun, alright? It was a rush! At first, yeah I might've hated you. but not at the end. I really thought I knew you, you know? Then suddenly it changed. You got a girlfriend! And I realised, what I dreaded the most and 'hated' was actually enjoyable. I liked it, I bloody liked being proposed to. And you saying I was beautiful. So yes. I disappeared for three years and changed my life. I changed Malfoy!"

He shook his head at her.

"This just keeps getting better, doesn't it? You had an epiphany and locked yourself away from the world. I don't know why you were in Gryffindor Weasley, this 'change' rubbish only proves to me that you have absolutely no guts, at all."

With that he left.

She sat there, not even swinging on her chair.

He was right.

_July 31__st__ – Third Year after Leaving School_

She knocked on the door three times, before standing back in anticipation.

It swung open, to reveal her little brother. Only he wasn't so little.

"Rose? Oh my God! Rose! Lily said she saw you at the Wedding, but you're here? After three-"

She silenced him by crushing him in a hug.

"Wait till everyone knows your back!"

_December 25__th__ – Third Year after Leaving School_

She padded down the stairs, smiling.

How had she missed three Christmases at the Burrow? The warm, the family, the friends.

"Nice jumper Weasley!" Said a voice from the lounge that made her jump out of her skin.

She turned around.

"Who invited you Malfoy?"

"Al, Lily, Hugo, Fred, your Dad-"

"Very funny Malfoy."

"Don't you want me here or something?" He asked his confident tone returning.

Rose felt transported back in time.

"It's not that," She said smiling and joining him in the lounge. "I just didn't know it was tradition for you to come to Christmas at the Burrow!"

"Well, things change you know, Weasley."

"Do they?"

"And people. They learn things about themselves. Realise stuff."

She nodded, her heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time.

"I'm serious about your jumper you know, looks good."

"Thank-you." She said earnestly.

"But you know where it would look better?" He leaned closer to her, whispering.

"On your bedroom floor?" She suggested, laughing.

He nodded, putting his arm around her waist.

_September 1__st__ – First Year_

"Anything from the trolley dears?"

Rose smiled widely, the most extravagant looking candies were before her, she couldn't choose which to get.

"You look nice when you smile, you know that?"

Rose looked up to see it was Scorpius who had said it.

She looked to Al, who looked baffled.

Red cheeked, and heart fluttering she bit into her chocolate frog.

She could get used to this.


End file.
